jul04



	Word of Prophecy Fellowship		JULY - AUGUST 2004

				THE GOOD NEWS - LETTER
				THE GOOD NEWS - LETTER

	PARALYZED WITH FEAR
Our adversary, the devil, has declared war on the church of Jesus Christ, and against every individual Christian. This is a war in which each Christian must fight and win _ a fight to the finish, to wit: *(1) "Fight* the good fight of faith." I Tim. 6:12. (2) "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom *resist* stedfast in the faith." I Pet. 5:8-9. (3) "For we *wrestle* not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Eph. 6:12. *(4) "Resist* the devil." James 4:7 (5) "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye *endured* a great fight of afflictions." Heb. 10:32. (6) Jesus warned His disciples thusly: *"In the world ye shall have tribulation."* John 16:33. FEARFUL AND FAINTHEARTED To the members of the church in the wilderness, Moses proclaimed before each battle with their enemies: "What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, *lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart."* Deut. 20:8. Today's church members have polarized into two groups _ one group, the vast majority, are the fearful and fainthearted; the smaller group, or the minority, consists of a few valiant saints and ministers who are not paralyzed with the fear of conflict and battle against sin, the flesh, and the devil! THE SPIRIT OF FEAR "For God hath not given us *the spirit of fear;* but [the spirit] of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." II Tim. 1:7. Fear is the result of unbelief and a lack of trust in God's Word _ that is, unbelief of the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, lacking complete faith, possessing only a partial belief or a partial obedience to God's Word. *Fear and faith cannot co-exist in the same heart.* In the parable of the talents, Jesus told of a servant who was fearful and fainthearted. Fear had destroyed his faith, and resulted in spiritual bondage to that fear. The servant offered his master this alibi: *"I was afraid*, and went and hid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thou hast that is thine." His master angrily replied: "Thou wicked and slothful servant … Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the



talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matt. 25:25-30. AFRAID OF WHAT? Jesus once probed His disciples with this provocative question: *"Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"* Mark 4:40. God hath dealt to every Christian the measure of faith: "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." Rom. 12:3. So, why is the church of Jesus Christ _ today _ filled with preachers and members who have no real faith _ and are paralyzed spiritually _ fainthearted and fearful of the results of trusting and obeying God? *Afraid of what? Answer:* Afraid of failure; afraid of each other; afraid of cancers, heart attacks, nervous breakdowns _ afraid they'll go to the poor house or get old with not enough Social Security, Medicare, Hospitalization, or Savings to care for their needs. *Preachers are afraid of their wives, the deacons, and the head bishop;* pastors are afraid of the people, and the people fear the pastors. These seek honor from each other and not from God, as Christ declared: "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" John 5:44. EXCUSES Somewhere a voice must be raised, a true voice, not an echo, showing God's people their sins and unbelief, their faintheartedness and fear that are playing havoc with their faith and obedience, that ever lead them into ruin and sorrow. When people of God offer alibis for failure to believe and trust God's Word, *God becomes angry.* "So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those which were bidden shall taste of my supper." Luke 14:21-24. He becomes angry with the church members and their preachers who are filled with an insatiable lust for money, pleasure, and position more than pleasing and obeying God. God has *never* used an organization or institutionalized religion to lead Reformation and Restoration to His church from its Apostasy and Backsliding. *God always uses a free voice, a prophet of God's choosing,* who will not be intimidated by fear of men, to cry out in the wilderness against the greed, selfishness, world-conformity, and rebellion in God's own people. That prophet of God must be God's choice and not a fainthearted, people-pleasing preacher, a real man who will not compromise for money, popularity, prestige or position. He must be fearless and inflexible! MOTIVATED BY FAITH A true man of God must motivate God's people to believe every word of God and trust Him completely! That Word declares: "But the just shall live by *his faith." Hab. 2:4. (Also Heb. 10:38) "But without faith it is impossible to please him." Heb. 11:6. And: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth [is fearful] is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.* A double minded man [a Christian who is fearful and fainthearted] is unstable in all his



ways." James 1:6-8. Bro. Ray Pringle Sr. always trusted God for health, healing, and other needs ever since he got saved on October 10, 1943 _ and miracles of healing and deliverance have abounded in his family! *He trusted God! Period! He was motivated by faith;* and now we that have been taught by this great man of faith are striving to motivate others to be heroes of faith, and to trust in God! OUR EXAMPLES Preachers and disciples of Christ's first church serve as our examples of faith, obedience, and complete trust in God's promises. "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common … for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet." Acts 4:32-35. The early church of Jesus Christ was holy, unselfish, sanctified, full of faith, full of love, and united! The church of today is just the opposite, in direct contrast _ lacking in real love, selfish, unholy, no unity, no real faith, and rebellious! *God's people are also fearful and fainthearted!* "They brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them … and they were healed every one." Acts 5:15-16. These were not paralyzed by fear and faintheartedness, thereby destroying their faith. Those early preachers motivated Christians by their sterling examples of faith and obedience to the Word of God. *Today's clergy wouldn't make good stooges for those first preachers in Christ's first church.* WHO'S TO BLAME? This prophetic scripture is so true and applicable to today's endtime church: "*As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths."* Isaiah 3:12. Bold, brazen women are ruling and ruining today's church, by the tolerance of pantywaist men, including preachers! *Preachers are ruled by their wives, and they are paralyzed by fear!* Most preachers in today's sick and Laodicean church are married to a proud, rebellious Jezebel. I know of many Full Gospel preachers who have confided: "If I obey God in my ministry, my wife would leave me. I can't preach holiness because of my wife and daughter." *Women rule the roosts and the churches, if you please.* The Bible commands thusly: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. [*And here's why]: For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." I Tim. 2:11-14. The devil knew he couldn't deceive the man _ he sent the woman to deceive Adam and cause him to disobey God. Ladies and gentlemen, a woman can get a man to do in five minutes what the devil can't get him to do in a year!* And they're leading men and the church to ruin! O LORD, I AM AFRAID! Christians are afraid to trust God, to take God at His Word. *They're afraid to trust God for their healing, live or die, sink or swim! They're afraid to give their money to support God's vital work. They're afraid to trust God for old age _* "We've just got to put our money in the bank, in C.D.'s." This is blatant unbelief! Why are Christians and Preachers so fearful? Why don't they have faith in God? They say they do _ but they lie! Why don't they believe and trust God's sure promises as these: (1)"And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; *and I will take*



*sickness away from the midst of thee."* Ex. 23:25. Sickness of long continuance, that is. Deut. 28:59. (2) "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight … *I will put none of these diseases upon thee …* I am the Lord that healeth thee." Ex. 15:26. *(3) "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church;* and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, *and the Lord shall raise him up."* James 5:14-15. Fear, unbelief, and disobedience will paralyze a Christian's faith and leave him in bondage. *Trusting medical aid for sickness is not the result of faith, but of fear; and it doesn't please God!* THE CAUSE OF ADVERSITY "For the love of money is the root of all evil [adversity and sorrow]: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." I Tim. 6:10. Ponder that declaration by the Holy Scriptures as it applies to the cause of your adversity that brings heartache and sorrow! *The love of money!* Robbing God of what the Scriptures and the Holy Ghost have led you to do! A HOLY REMNANT! God is raising up a holy remnant of saints, men and women who are motivated by faith, to obey Him in the support of God's end time message and ministry that is as vital as that of Christ's early church. This holy remnant, as the prophet of God proclaimed, is laboring to "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. *Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with a vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you."* Isa. 35:3-4. God will always come and save those out of their adversity who fully trust and obey him. God knows them that really trust in him. "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him." Nahum 1:7 We also proclaim this message to God's fainthearted and disobedient saints. God is dealing with His people to sell their surplus property, give their surplus savings, or to dedicate a portion of the profits of their businesses to this vital, prophetic endtime ministry that was raised up to warn God's elect of the consequences of their rebellion, and to lead them back to Divine Favor and Health. FEAR GOD! Jesus proclaimed: "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28. Like the Apostle Paul, I exhort you: *"Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.* (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things)." Phil. 3:17-19. Saint of God, don't follow a preacher who dares not proclaim true faith and trust in God for body, soul, and spirit by his message and example. Mark true men of God who are not paralyzed by fear and who motivate you to unwavering faith and trust in God's promises. *Follow them as they follow Christ.* I Cor. 11:1. DON'T BE AFRAID *Dare to walk with God on the frontiers of time by faith. Defy fear and fate to their worst, while you do your best to obey God's Word.* Here's the plight of most Christians and preachers, paralyzed by fear, as expressed



by the poet: To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether `tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them … But then the dread of what may happen Makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of. Amen and amen.

Word of Prophecy Newsletter Published by: Word of Prophecy Fellowship, P O Box 10200, Jacksonville, FL 32247, WWW.WordOfProphecy.org, Editor Bro. Ray Pringle, Jr., an ordained minister of the Calvary Chapel Church of God, Inc., Associate Editor ... June Carpenter, Copyrighted - All rights reserved